Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Deklindiyellow’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Deklindiyellow’, characterized by its single-type inflorescences with oblong to ovate-shaped, yellow-colored ray florets; strong and upright flowering stems; freely flowering habit; early and uniform flowering response; plants flower about 41 days after the start of photoinductive treatments; and good postproduction longevity; plants maintain good substance for about 27 days in an interior environment.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Deklindiyellow’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Deklindiyellow’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new single-type Chrysanthemum cultivars with unique ray floret coloration and excellent postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum was discovered by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Hensbroek, The Netherlands on Oct. 4, 2005, as a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Deklindi White, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,815. The new Chrysanthemum was observed as a single plant in a group of flowering plants of the parent cultivar. The selection of this plant was based on its ray floret coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Hensbroek, The Netherlands since Oct. 27, 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Deklindiyellow have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Deklindiyellow’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Deklindiyellow’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Single-type inflorescences with oblong to ovate-shaped,         yellow-colored ray florets.     -   2. Strong and upright flowering stems.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Early and uniform flowering response; plants flower about 41         days after the start of photoinductive treatments.     -   5. Good postproduction longevity; plants maintain good substance         for about 27 days in an interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the parent, the cultivar Deklindi White, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger         discs than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Deklindi         White.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum have fewer         ray florets than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar         Deklindi White.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Deklindi         White differ in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar         Deklindi White have white-colored ray florets.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have longer peduncles than         plants of the cultivar Deklindi White.     -   5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of         the cultivar Deklindi White.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Dekyen, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Dekyen in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were less vigorous than         plants of the cultivar Dekyen.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller leaves than         plants of the cultivar Dekyen.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more freely flowering         than plants of the cultivar Dekyen.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Dekyen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Deklindiyellow’ grown as a spray type.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Deklindiyellow’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Plants were initially given long day/short night treatments followed by short day/long night treatments to induce flower initiation and development. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 22° C. and light levels were about seven kilolux. Plants were about eight weeks from planting when the photographs and the description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Deklindiyellow. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of     Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Deklindi White, disclosed in U.S.     Plant Pat. No. 17,815. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About six to seven days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 13 to 15 days at             20° C.         -   Root description/habit.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color;             freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance/growth habit.—Herbaceous single-type cut flower             that is typically grown as a spray-type. Moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Length: About             60 cm. Spray diameter: About 10 cm to 15 cm. Diameter: About             5 mm. Number of lateral branches: About seven to nine.             Internode length: About 1 cm to 2 cm. Texture: Pubescent;             longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 4.5 cm to 8.5 cm. Width: About 1.8 cm to 3.5 cm. Apex:             Cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed; sinuses             divergent. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent,             slightly rough; veins prominent on lower surface. Color:             Developing foliage, upper surface: Close to 137C. Developing             foliage, lower surface: Lighter than 147B. Fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to             146B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B;             venation, 146B. Petiole: Length: About 8 mm to 15 mm.             Diameter: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Slightly rough. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 146B to 146C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Single-type inflorescence form with oblong to             ovate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals,             arising from leaf axils. Ray and disc florets develop             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences slightly             fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early and uniform flowering             response; plants exposed to two weeks of long day/short             night conditions after planting followed by photoinductive             short day/long night conditions flower about 41 days later             when grown as a spray-type.         -   Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment,             inflorescences and foliage will maintain good color and             substance for about 27 days.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—When grown as a spray type,             freely flowering habit, about six to eleven inflorescences             per flowering stem develop.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 2 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.2 cm. Disc diameter: About 6 mm to 8 mm. Receptacle             height: About 3 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 3 mm.             Receptacle color: Close to 145B to 145C.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Oblate. Height: About 3 mm.             Diameter: About 5 mm. Color: Close to 144A to 144B.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 1 cm to 1.2 cm. Width: About 4 mm             to 5 mm. Shape: Oblong to ovate. Angle: Initially upright to             about 45° from vertical. Apex: Tridentate. Base: Attenuate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence:             About 18 to 22 arranged in about one to two whorls. Color:             When opening, upper surface: Close to 2A. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 5C. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 4B; color becoming closer to 4C with development.             Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 3D; color becoming             closer to 4D with development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Fused tubular, elongated. Apex: Acute.             Length: About 3 mm to 5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm to 1 mm.             Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 150. Color:             Immature: Apex: Close to 154B. Mid-section and base: Close             to 145C to 145D. Mature: Apex: Close to 3A. Mid-section and             base: Close to 145D.         -   Involucral bracts.—Length: About 6 mm to 8 mm. Width: About             1.5 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Rounded. Base:             Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per inflorescence:             About 22 arranged in about two whorls. Color, upper surface:             Close to 137B to 137C. Color, lower surface: Close to 137A             to 137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, first peduncle: About 5.5 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 7 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm to 1.5 mm.             Angle: About 30° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to             146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:             Present on both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 3             mm to 4 mm. Style color: Close to 4D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Deklindiyellow’ as illustrated and described. 